Quick turnaround

Interesting game last night…certainly not enough offense but obviously there was a little fracas in the eighth as frustration boiled over from Matt. He certainly sounded remorseful after the fact, as that’s never the way you want things to turn out, but in this case, it obviously happened and we’ll have to await word from the league office on the ramifications.

There are plenty of people who are of the school of thought that a fight of this nature can often create team unity and get the team fired up. I know that in 2002, Jeff Kent credited his dugout dust-up with Barry Bonds as the turning point in the season that saw them eventually reach the World Series.

Who knows if it’s a real effect or a perceived one or how it will affect the team today and down the road, but it’s certainly made for good fodder on DodgerTalk, message boards and this blog. In any event, here’s today’s lineup for the afternoon matinee.

Pierre LF

Kemp CF

Ethier RF

Martin C

Loney 1B

DeWitt 3B

Maza 2B

Hu SS

Kershaw LHP

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I’m never first. I just hope you’re right and last night’s fight will get this team turned around. I know Matt will probably be suspended for the fight. I just hope for not too long; we need him too much!

Do the cubs who were 66-96 with Pierre in 2006 miss him? The dodgers are 110-110 with Juan Pierre. If that’s good. Cool, if not then start complaining like the rest of us or shut up and stop trying to make me think he is good.

From previous thread:
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Dodgerboy – thanks for the compliment – I am just trying to keep up most of the time. You should try doing a song – it’s very theraputic, and it’s addictive (in a good way).
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I guess Pierre is still “Pierre.” uggghhhh!!!! Why won’t they just try giving a chance to Ethier, Kemp and Young. Sara the thought of Pierre in CF again is just frightening.
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josh,
we need a t-shirt for James (“My Loney has a first name”)
It would be very cool!!!
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jhall – “UNACCEPTABLE” (whichever version you choose) would make a good shirt too – lol!!

Pierre had a about a 10 game stretch this year where he HIT well (notice I didn’t say “played” since his outfield play is always limited), but the rest of the time he’s been the same old Slappy Juan for 4, easy out for the other team. And now this year Penny stinks as well. Ugghhhh!!

Dnel,
that is what we are hoping for!!! LOL
My wife is going to bribe the boys and let them know if they win tonight and friday night then we are taking them out for pizza and ice cream and they get to get me with the ice cream!!

Here’s a scary stat – after being MIA for the past 25 games, Rafael Furcal still leads the Dodgers in runs scored with 34. Tied for second (and not even close) with 28 are Russell Martin and Matt Kemp.
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Our replacement leadoff hitter? Juan Pierre is sixth with 23 runs scored.

You just need more around a bunch of 24 year olds (if trying to win now) than Pierre, a 40 year old Kent. Nomar, Loazia, Schmidt and others have already sorted themselves out. We barely had enough with Furcal. We need an impact bat, as obvious by lack of Furcal, cause he was an impact bat and it shows…but we need that Piazza, Sheff type hitter who can hurt with power, a walk or a single to right. Martin is close.

Hey guys,
I just met Sandy Koufax at my country club for about the third or fourth time. He comes up and plays about twice a year with his good friend and former Dodger second baseman, Dick Tracewski. But anyway I was talking to him about Kershaw, and he said that he didn’t work with him, but he saw him down in Vero, and he said that he hasn’t seen somebody like him in a long time and that he is going to be a star for a long time. If Sandy is singing his praises, he’s gotta be something special.

Also from the last thread regarding Pierre getting picked off second base:

I’m telling you, watch Pierre when he (manages to) get on base against a lefty. He has trouble reading them. I’d love to find a split somewhere that breaks that down so that I’d know if it’s fact or my horribly prejudiced vivid imagination.

Loney leads in RBIs with 32.
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A true test of leadoff men: Raffy has 34 runs in 31 games when leading off (more than a run per game – he’s the man, when healthy)
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Pierre has 13 runs in 27 games when leading off – about one run every two games – that’s pathetic

I’m hearing this praise from Koufax and putting it along side that quote from Jerry West after he saw Kobe Bryant’s workout before the draft when he said it was the best workout he’d ever seen anyone ever have. It means so much more coming from someone like those guys.

As I’ve been saying we need some offense and Matt Kemp provided some.
Let’s hope it works out for the better.
If there’s such a thing as a “must” game this sure qualifies as one.
I’d hate to lose two straight right now to this team.
Not with the Cubs coming to town.
We’d have a tough enough challenge on our hands without having to forget about losing to a depleted Rockies team.
Let’s hope we can do something against Aaron Cook and give some support to the kid.
LET’S GO YA BUMS!!!

crash – you would think any of the top 5 in runs scored could be lead off (Kemp 28, Martin 28, Ethier 27 and Loney 27) plus Pierre is only in the top 5 in OBP (5th) and steals. If he is so great, shouldn’t he be at the top of the hits category?
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Listening to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” – that has definite song potential – lol!!!
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jnv – sounds fun!!!!! – lol!

how about a “Free DY” shirt. He gets out once a month, other than that he is on 23 hours a day lockdown. Joe try something new. What is the old saying, if you continue to do the same thing over and over with the same results, you are an idiot!

Meeting Koufax, a dream come true. That is awesome, I had the fortune of meeting him at Dodger Fantasy Camp, got a picture with him and an autographed baseball. You feel heavenly when you leave his presence. I got to see him work with Greg Miller at ST this year I am hoping it is starting to show.

PierreEW I agree he is not the only reason, but he is part of the problem. I just want Joe to try something new besides benching Ehtier and Young. Their potential is limitless and unknown. We know we will get 4 weak at bats from Pierre, a failed bunt attempt and a weak groundball to SS.

PierreEMW, Your right he isn’t the reason we are losing so many games, but he sure is not going to help us win games either!!
He needs to sit out and let us see what an outfield of Ethier, Kemp and Young can do and let RM lead off

Dodgerboy – we may have to add “Free Andre” to the list when Andruw comes back, but I agree with that one for now (“Free DY”) –
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PierreEW – I know what you are saying, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it 🙂 lol!!
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almost game time – I am at lunch right now, and then I have 50 more minutes until my 2007-08 school year is complete. So, I am going to let my class watch the first few innings and hopefully James gets a hit so we can sing the song. (MLK and Leefink, hopefully this carries through the summer and they come back remembering the song – that would be way too cool!!)
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GO DODGER BLUE!!!!!

How can you say he is not a reason. I have always said he is part of the problem not the problem but to go back further..Pierre teams since 2003 have a combined record of under .500. It’s not a coincidence.

I agree with earlier posters that Kemp needs to follow Russ Martin’s example on how to play, but that’s basically true of everyone on the team. I think Martin should be made Captain in the off-season, and I think that he will one day be the manager of the Dodgers. As Steve Lyons pointed out, even though you don’t like to see the fight, Martin and Loney–and Ethier too–were the first guys into the scrum, and you have to at least like that these guys will immediately get each other’s backs. (And Pierre is probably the right guy to try to calm down the Bison–he may not have the physicality, but he can catch him speed-wise, and for all the grief we give him, he is a veteran who know to calm the situation.)
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Kemp, however, continues to learn and grow–he’s still but 23. And while you can’t like what happened in the game, the way he dealt with it after was pure class–compare that to Clint Hurdle who completely ignored the facts that: i) Torrealba pushed Kemp for really no reason; ii) gave him a hard tag in the stomach; and iii) punched him in the face. I think Torrealba was still hot from the “brush-back” pitch frmo Cory Wade, which was an 0-2 fastball that was supposed to be high and outside to get Torrealba to chase it, but got away from Wade–and as a catcher, Torrealba should know. And then he refused to answer questions or take any responsibility after the game.
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The offense, however, really needs to get going. The pitching has not been stellar (starting and relief problems–and unfortunately not great relief when we have had good starting, and reverse), but the pitching has kept us in. There is no reason that teh offense cannot turn around–the talent is obvious, and, except for needing a little power to come on, you can see it’s there, once if starts coming consistently. Don’t give up on the year, but most importantly, be optimistic about this year and years to come.

The cause of our Losing ways, mostly is the lack of offense from the entire team. IMO
Especially with RISP. All are at fault.
But I believe it is a lack of major league experience in some cases.
And with more playing time TOGETHER it will straighten itself out.

Not a way to get started with Cook on the mound. We can’t take advantage of the D’backs terrible showing as we are doing the same.
WHAT THE HELL DOES IT TAKE TO GET THIS TEAM STARTED??
At times we show some life, but it quickly disappears…

Kershaw will learn you have to pitch from ahead at this level. He is still struggling with his command. Dewitt should have had the liner but it was smoked and had a lot of top spin and that makes it a heavy ball when it hits the glove.

Pierre, agreed that the hitting w/RISP is the biggest problem with our offense right now, and also agreed that it will probably work its way out. Looking at the BAs in the lineup today, it’s not bad. Pierre .282 Kemp .310, Ethier .301, Martin .315, Loney .280 DeWitt .293. Personally, I’m just frustrated at Torre for not EVER trying someone different in the leadoff spot. What’s wrong with TRYING? One game?

On another note, wasn’t Pee Wee Reese named captain of the Dodgers? And didn’t we have another after him? What do you think of naming Martin as a captain. I think it’s a good idea.

Even though James grounded into a DP, my class sang the song anyway – they really do love this song, honest!! It will be the last time this class will sing it with me. I told them to keep singing it if they hear about him while they are watching ESPN or just listening the Oscar Mayer commercial.
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MLK and leefink – you did good!!! 🙂
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josh – this song needs to be made into a t-shirt

I think the Dodger batting averages are really very good but
They hit at the wrong time.
They are all doing good at setting the table but terrible at cleaning it off.
Not only the hitting out of synk, but their lack of patience at the plate is well known.
If they ever want to get anywhere this has to change.

Maybe Kershaw should have kept the old number…. I’m with you guys in saying I have no idea what will wake this team up. Although it is becoming more and more appearant that this team really is not built for this year. We have to be excited about the young guys getting experience, but like I’ve said all along, we have got to get someone who is a power hitting RBI man. It’s going to be a while before we get the power numbers we’re looking for from Loney, Kemp, and so on…. Martin is still having a great year despite the changes in the lineip all the time…. Well, here’s to hoping that somehow we can actually make a run….. this division is VERY WINNABLE!!

Yeah, I agree 110% dodgerboy, what the hell are we waiting for!?!?!? The division is totally there for the taking, and the D-Backs have come back down to earth…. What will it take…. Are we trying to win NOW, or are we waiting for something that may never come!?!?

82 pitches in 3 innings. I love him, but he sure is raw. I hope they keep him here so we can watch him develop. I really don’t think it matters where he does his growing up as long as his mental makeup allows him to handle it.

This is the first year for me to have MLB.TV and I’m totally pissed that the Dodgers who I thought would run away with this division this year are just plodding along. WAKE UP DODGERS. I want to see some good games, Maybe a come from behind win once.

It’s only been 16 inning since we had a run maybe the law of averages will step in and help out.
I have confidence that this will all end.
If not today, someday.
I don’t mean these present scoreless innings I mean the poor offense that we’ve seen for a quite a while now. LOL

What do we do!?!?!? Do we make a big trade? Do we suck *** this year and wait for next year?!?!? Do we start a fire sale!?!?!? Any ideas? I’m open to them all…. It just feels like a lose, lose situation!!! This is by far the most frustrating season I’ve ever had in my 27 years of being a Dodger fan…. Only because of the expectations of this great group of young talent mized with veteran leadership…. and for whatever reason this team has got 0 chance of getting anywhere. On top of that, we’ve not had a legit power hitter for about 4 or 5 years now…. How long do we have to go and continue to hear managers say crap like ” we’re just not going to be able to hit a lot of homeruns, and we need to manufacture runs, it’s really not bad, we’ve just got to hit 4 singles in a row to score a run, we’ll be fine” I’m so sick of hearing that ” we’ll be fine…. we’re just stuck in a rut” Anyone with me!?!?!?

Tell me…. how good can a team be that has had 3 managers in the last 4 years, 3 general managers in the last 4 years, and the longest tenure player is 3 and a half years….. Something is SERIOUSLY wrong there.

“Do we make a big trade?”
Not if it costs us the youth we have up here right now.

“Do we suck *** this year and wait for next year?!?!?”
Maybe.

“Do we start a fire sale!?!?!?”
That would be incredibly stupid.

“Any ideas?”
Sit back. Relax. It’s a game, not life and death.

“This is by far the most frustrating season I’ve ever had in my 27 years of being a Dodger fan…. ”
I’ve been one for 49 myself.

“Only because of the expectations of this great group of young talent mized with veteran leadership”
The veteran leadership has been more mixed than the young talent. Name me one vet that has performed to expectations. One.

Well dodgereric…. I’m basically saying that expectations were high prior to the season starting. If the players we’ve had that were vets had even come close what we expected, then we’d be in great shape… but, no, I agree with you, not one of them have… We had no wiggle room to allow for that either. And as far as relaxing… I do, after the games are over, and I get over it, but during the game, I can get awfully frustrated and passionate, I’ve grown up rooting for this team, and have seen an awful lot of good and bad, but I also expect them to at least contend, and it’s very difficult to watch them just be an OK team with a bright future.

Ethier hit a HR and is benched the next game. Young hits two doubles, which was most of the Dodger’s offense, and is benched the next day. Pierre costs us runs with his running and lack of a good arm and he keeps playing. It really makes you wonder what Torre’s problem really is. He certainly is not demonstrating anything near a HOF manager’s mentality. The Dodgers would be much better off this year if Torre was still managing the Yankees. But unfortunately the Yankees were smarter than the Dodgers once again.

So jhall and redfox think that because they can post anonymous comments on message boards they are smarter than the manager… and of course.. every game we lose is because of Pierre. even though his stats are better than Loney’s right now… and I don’t hear anyone saying “Loney sucks… lets bench him and bring up some prospect from Vegas to play first!”

It isn’t Torre’s fault that Furcal got hurt.. it isn’t his fault that they have to play a bunch of inexperienced kids in the lineup every day.. it isn’t his fault that no one on the roster can hit for power regularly..

Maybe it is Ned’s fault…. but you cant get the kind of power hitter we need without giving up the guys you people are in love with…

It’s a lot easier to complain on the computer than it is to actualy do the job of a big league manager…

brandon, I know exactly where you’re coming from. Yes, expectations were high in the spring, but I think we were all expecting a 30/100 season out of Andruw, weren’t we? Plug someone like that into the lineup and stick a healthy Furcal out there and we’re in first place and not by a little bit. Crap happens, but hang in there. The fat lady ain’t even in the building yet.

And I think I’ll have to amend my remark about the vets. Park is a vet and he’s certainly outperforming expectations.

One more thing brandon. I remember listening to the game one evening a long time ago in my first car, a ’63 Ford Galaxie sled. I got so mad I ripped the horn ring right off the steering wheel. I understand.

redfox, that’s your opinion.. he plays who he has available to him.. The only substitution you guys ever suggest is benching Pierre and playing DY… an unproven player who you really don’t know will do any better… That subtitution would NOT substantialy change the teams fortunes. Young is not a power hitter. He is playing the best lineup available to him right now.. everyone else is on the DL.

I think what’s the most frustrating part is that this team shows no emotion, win or lose, they seem to not care. Some fire would be amazing…. I know, I know… I saw the fight last night, I’ll tell you one thing… Matt Kemp for being bigger than Torrealba was taken down hard…. When I say fire, how about throw a Gatorade Jug, or pump a fist, or wave some arms for the fans to get excited… SOMETHING…. You watch other teams, and they seem like they’re pumped… every year when you watch the playoffs you see it, on every team, and we just don’t have it. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted Milton Bradley gone just as much as anyone, but boy did he give a **** about this game. The same could be said for Loduca, and a few other guys we had, Brian Jordan was another one…. Ever since Lasorda retired, our managers have all been very boring and blah!! We need to show some EMOTION!

PARK has still got it.
He may have lost it for a while but he’s got it back IMO.
The Dodgers are playing well, it a good little team.
Just the trouble scoring runs.
They got to find a way.
COOK is still in there. He has to feel it.

Earlier someone had commented on LaRoche played 2B at Vegas. DeWitt actually played 2B for 93 games of the 2006 minor league season and his fielding stats are a wee bit better at 2B than 3B. LaRoche, on the other hand, has always been at 3B and it’s only this year that they’re playing him every which way. It means that DeWitt could be a long-term answer at 2B PROVIDED LaRoche plays himself into a position to even be considered a 3B starter.

what’s our record in one run games? It’s got to be horrible… or at least it seems like it. We just can’t seem to get over the hump. I like everyone else here, think we really need something emotional to happen, like a walk off homer, or a no hitter… I know that’s a little far fetched, but you know what I mean.

This team has NO FIGHT!! NONE…. They lay down and just roll over to the freakin’ ROCKIES!!!! I’m an extremely patient person, but it’s really wearing thin with these guys…. I can only imagine what Torre must be thinking!!

Bowa needs to have a meltdown, Joe will not. Something needs to change we cannot continue to give outs away our 7,8,9 hitters are easy pickings for the opposition and add Pierre, that is 4 automatic outs.

**** this ******* team. this is just out of control…ive never seen such a bunch of cry baby-emotionless losers- Once theyre down they just give up-and weve scored 2 or fewer runs in 15 of 26 games. its so damn pathetic, i dont even know if i can watch anymore

There is more fight in most T-ball teams than these guys have. Now to me this team is kind of like a train wreck…. you know something bad is going to happen, but you can’t look away, you’ve got to watch it….. I really hope they do something soon, I fear the chances that Arizona is giving us are wearing thin…..

I’d much rather have Bradley than Pierre. When Ned took over he had to choose between keeping Kent or Bradley, and he choose Kent. I said all along I would have rather kept Bradley if for only the age difference. It’s true we wouldn’t have Ethier, but we wouldn’t have Pierre either. Would it have made this team better, who knows? I do know a team that loses 2 out of 3 at home to a depleted Rockies club is no good!

The Pressure’s all on the Cubs.
Maybe we’ll do to them what these Rox did to us.
This seemed to be the typical happening here, all pitch no runs.
The only thing offensively today was Kemp tied Loney for the Dodgers 1st Place in RBI. with 32.
Park & Kuo have really looked good lately.
If Kershaw was pitching for another team he would’ve won today.
DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP, ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

It’s official..!!! The Dodgers lineup is a big JOKE….How are they supposed to win when their last 3 hitters are Maza, Hu, and the pitcher…The rest of the lineup isn’t that great either, so having those 3 at the bottom is like the icing on a bad cake…All we can do is hope that this will affect Ned’s job…otherwise, forget this season….We don’t have great pitching…(think Penny, maybe Kuroda, Proctor, etc) and we have terrible offense…The only time we can hit is if we get a really bad pitcher…otherwise it’s one or zero….I’m totally embarrassed by the product that is being put on the field. I know Furcal is out, but other teams have alot more players out and they get through alot better….and don’t even say Andruw is out, because he was out before he got here.

drphedblnd no one is going to say Jones so no need to write an essay. This is how bad we missed Furcal. I don’t think this offense can stay like this the rest of the way but seriously look at Oakland attendance. Most of there home game I found there average around 11,000+ in a 35,000+ capicity and they funny part there like 3.5 games back against the Angels or maybe we should average last than 20,000+ the rest of this monthat home for them to do something about it and get Sweeney and Hu off this team and called up LaRouche and Repko.

I was searching through all the pitchers and found another ala Pierre type lol.

Gose, Anthony Bellflower HS (CA) LHP L/L 6’01” 190 1990-08-10 HS 400K

Comments: Depending on how he develops, Gose could fit one of two types. He could be a Corey Patterson type, one who flashes brilliance and hits for power but strikes out a lot. He also could be a Juan Pierre type, a leadoff hitter who sprays line drives and steals bases. Either way, someone will draft the Urban Youth Academy product based on his projectability. Gose has also drawn plenty of interest for his ability on the mound, throwing as hard as 97 mph from the left side, but he’s been fairly adamant about wanting to be considered an outfielder only.
Enhanced Scouting Report

jhall,
Yes, the game was certainly not what I expected. I left after the 2nd inning – had to take students out and home, and then we went out for late lunch. Like I said above, I let the students watch the first two innings hoping the James would get a hit so we could sing the James Loney song, but he grounded into a DP. We sang anyway in hopes he would do well later in the game.
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I was hoping for a breakaway 9th inning – Ethier hitting a homerun off hometown boy,Fuentes, would have been nice, but it’s okay – I can’t be as hard on the Dodgers as some. I enjoy watching them play win or lose, and even more so when the kids are playing. I’m with PierreEW in that respect; I am willing to wait it out for the day that we will see a Dodger team that most of us have envisioned, even if that is tomorrow, a week, a month or a year from now – I’m with this team for the long haul – always have been. 🙂
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BTW – MLK/leefink – can I have permission to make your song (My Loney Has a First Name) into a poster for next year. I want to add it to my baseball wall. I will make sure you two get full credit (your names will be laminated forever – lol!)
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jhall and eric – I want to display your songs (about me) also somehow on the wall. My A’s/Braves fan next door thinks those songs are fabulous and should be displayed. My students did know I was corresponding with other Dodger fans around the country, so they are aware that some of you are not from California. My baseball wall includes a map, and it displays where all the teams are located, and I have mentioned where some of you are from (Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, Ohio, New York, Cruces, etc., etc.). Obviously, they don’t know many of the songs for good reason – I edit myself pretty good – lol!! So, jhall, like you mentioned yesterday how I was an icon for Inside Dodgers, well, you and your fellow creative genius’ are becoming icons in Mrs. Nelson’s classroom 🙂
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sorry for the long post

I’ve been a fan of this team since 1978 and I never seen a team that like to keep a couple of wash up veteran. It like every year there about 2 to 3 players than seem to have a pathetic season. I wonder what are season would look like if we didn’t have Tomko, Hendrickson Gonzo and Saenz one of his worst year in a LA uniform last year and had Chad in the starting rotation from day 1. We could had Pierre played all 162 game and have Ethier and Kemp around 150+ seriously they probbaly would had been a nice 100+ winss season and notice I didn’t say Schmidt I’m not given up on him just yet. Oh yeah and Loney around 155 games at 1st bases and Sanez/Nomar the other 7 games and platoon Betamit, Nomar and Ramon at 3rd. We would had definitely won the west last year and by a big margin. We could all dream can we.

Yeah Nelly, I root for the Indians. They’re my AL team. Well run organization. l also root for the Reds when they aren’t playing the Dodgers. Dodgers are and always have been my #1 favorite team. Wish we had Grady Sizemore.

We definitly could have won the West last year SHAD 78.
I think we would’ve had a great chance if our offense didn’t turn cold and mostly because at about the same time the Rockies, D’back & Padres offense got remakedly better.

Very cool, jhall – Jill is very happy that you support the Indians. I have Jhonny Peralta on my fantasy team. When we went to the A’s/Indians game, Peralta gave a pair of batting gloves to a young Indians fan – too cute and very cool!! Boy! wouldn’t that be nice to have Grady instead of Andruw. An outfield of Andre, Grady and Matt would be fantastic!!! Power and awesome fielding. Grady is a lead off hitter, too. There goes the Pierre problem – lol!!! Only in our dreams, and if it were that simple – ha!!

Just imagine had we signed Chase Utley when we drafted him out of high school….You want to talk about a great ballplayer. How good would he look in Dodger Blue. We can only dream about it, but what a great dream.

PierreEW,
Just knowing what the Rox accomplished last year coming up through the division the way they did, makes anything possible, even when things seem so screwed up right now. There is still a whole lot of baseball left, and eventhough the Dodgers haven’t been playing well, we could be a lot worse off. Only time will tell what will happen in the next three/four months of baseball. I have confidence the Dodgers will be just fine if we keep playing the kids and don’t do anything stupid at the trade deadline.

I think Torre ought to shelve this pitch count crap and let these guys be themselves. Take advantage of the pitcher’s need to get ahead and hit that fat first pitch. I wonder if anyone in the organization has noticed this and has called it to his attention. There are lies and there are lies and there are statistics. These are significant. And now we’re getting into Torre.

Game management ain’t brain surgery. Almost anyone can do it. I’ve never played the game past the high school level, but I’ve been watching it pretty carefully all my life. Vin has been a pretty good teacher. I don’t agree with some of the in-game moves he’s made, but who am I?

I think Joe is absolutely positive that the veterans (Kent, Sweeney, Nomar, Pierre, Jones, Lowe, Penny) will eventually come around. He may just be right about that. Unfortunately, the only way to bring that about is to keep running them out there. How long is too long? Impossible to say, really. The season would probably be too far along to save by the time it’s been proven to Joe that they’re done.

I think that the kids have done just fine so far. I love watching them play. I love watching them progress. I am very patient with them and am willing to suffer through their growing pains. Being an emotional person myself, I would like to see more emotion, but you can’t make someone who is a calm person do that. Bill Buckner was my favorite Dodger after Sandy Koufax. I don’t think you could come up with two more different personalities and I wouldn’t ask either of them to change even if they could.

I would love the Dodgers to have that perfect mix of veterans and youth. The vets have not held up their end so far this season. I’m personally tired of the media pointing towards the kids’ mistakes as the scapegoat responsible for their record. Look at the Dodger’s own website after this game. “Clayton Kershaw’s one mistake, a two-run homer, proved costly….”

For someone who’s still a bit wild, I thought the kid did great today. One pitch in a full-count, ten-pitch at bat cost him the loss. With any kind of offense, we’d be happier than a pig in new mud right now.

Wow, look at the length of this. I apologize, but I just reviewed it and I can’t delete a thing. It’s just one person’s opinion and I appreciate the opportunity to vent it.

Stick with the kids. Stick with the Dodgers. Sports is supposed to be life’s toy department. We root for the greatest team around.

Speaking about rooting for other teams, My daughter and I have a pack.
If the Dodgers can’t make it, I root for the Mets, and she does the same thing, Roots for the Dodgers if the Mets aren’t in the race.
Of course it’s been a while for her since the Mets seem to be always in it.
But personally I hate to see the Mets lose to other teams but seem to come back to beat us- so I actually feel good to see them beat up on other teams.
So that way it’s not as bad when they beat the Dodgers.

DNELSON
I agree with you 100%
I hope Torre & Coletti don’t give up on our guys and give them a lenghty chance to play everyday.
They’re a young, even though this the second season for many of them, they need time.
There’s no rush.
Eventually they will compete successfully with teams like the Cards, Mets, Cubs, Phils & Marlins.

I was at the game today and the guy in front of me asked if I thought they were going to bring in some help soon, and I said, hopefully Furcal will be the help coming back soon… and he said, that all the names in the lineup are terrible, and that they can’t win this way and that we need to bring in bigger bats and make trades… he said that we needed to trade RUSSELL, or Loney, or Ethier and get someone proven. I thought he was kidding. TRADE RUSSELL??? Or Loney? He was dead serious. He thinks that the youth movement is a joke, and that we can’t ever win unless we have proven vets.

There ARE actually fans who believe this.

I just said that while the team is inconsistent and struggling, the best thing is to let them grow up together and have a bright future. They might even put it together later this year. He shook his head and said they’d never be good. You could see him shake his head after every poor at bat by our guys (there were many). Our offense was absolutely lifeless today. As it was yesterday. And when the game was over, he just looked at me calmly and said, they HAVE TO make a move and bring in someone… I just said, there’s no one to bring in… augh =P

Great stuff Eric. I guess when you get the first pitch fastball you might want to take a hack at it. Interesting info Sara. I guess there are two sides to every coin. I’m with you, stick with the kids. I like your parting remark also. Who are we gonna get. There’s no one out there. I agree Nelly, lots of baseball to go. We could be alot worse off.

Saying goodnight for now. My son’s summer baseball season starts tonight and he is pitching – Have a great evening everyone – blog you later 🙂
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jhall- indians are winning 4-1 for now, but I am assuming you already know that. Grady walked, didn’t get caught stealing and scored a run – wouldn’t that have been nice today from our lead off man – lol!
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sorry PierreEW, couldn’t resist getting in one more Juan Pierre dig – I know, my bad – lol!

A lot of us bloggers in here are frustrated and that’s understandable. But when we label defeats as unacceptable or bulls**t, allow me to offer some perspective. “Unacceptable” is when two runners are thrown out at the plate on the same play, within one nano second of each other, and in a playoff game, no less. “Bulls**t” is when a team has won exactly one playoff game in 20 years and that team is the Los Angeles Dodgers. By contrast, young players struggling at the plate, flailing away with RISP, or being impatient at the plate is what I would refer to as manure being strewn for a future bountiful crop.

These Dodgers look dead. I’m embarrassed with this team. I’ve been a Dodger fan for many years and in my opinion there is no fire with any player with the exception of Russell Martin. Everyone seems to be going thru the motions. When they get down two runs, they seem to realize that it’s over. I’m tired of this punch and judy show. No power. No hitting with runners in scoring position. Hu and Maza belong in little league. Is there no one else in the minors to replace these two? Where’s this big power hitter Matt Kemp? 4 homers is a joke. The D-Backs keep leaving the door open for us, but we keep failing to walk in. I am totally frustrated.

So when the season ends and we are vying for anything between 1st and 4th place and talking about how the future looks good, let’s recall the present and who stepped up when the best player went down and who did not, espically if the finger pointing starts again.

Did anyone catch this article on ESPN about the June 4, 1974 10-cent Beer Night riot? Kinda puts the Dodgers’ 1995 Ball Night fiasco into perspective. I’m 27 years old, have been a baseball fan since I was 4, but I’ve never heard of this one:

Along with DNelly, everyone is welcome to use the James Loney Song in any format you want as far as leekfink and I are concerned. The more, the merrier.
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Dodgereric,
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Bill Buckner is my all-time favorite player. I’m happy to see Clayton Kershaw wearing his number. Remember when he went halfway over the bullpen fence in Atlanta trying to get Hank Aaron’s 715th homerun ball?
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Trivia: Who caught the above-mentioned Aaron ball?
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I’m wiped out, and hitting the sack very soon. After staying up until after midnight “helping” to make a baseball poster for a 3rd-grade oral book report last night, I hoped to nap a little this afternoon. No could do. I ended up watching the same 3rd-grader and her 5-year-old brother when their parents had to take their days-old boy to the hospital. He has a little jaundice from some minor kidney problems. Apparently this problem is not all that uncommon among babies, and he should be fine but has to spend a couple of days in the hospital. So if those of you who pray or do something similar could include him in your prayers, that would be nice. His name is Adan Gabriel. Thanks.
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G’night.

Chin-lung Hu is killing us at the plate!! If we MUST sit Jeff Kent, then by all means, the best lineup should include Maza at short and Delwyn Young at second base. Hu is simply killing us at the plate and needs more seasoning at triple-A, and BEFORE it affects his confidence to hit at the MLB level. Also, it’s time to experiment with the LaRoche/DeWitt combo at second and third base. This team needs to do something to inject more offense than what the lower third of the order is giving us… which is next to nothing of late.

Consider it done, mlk. You’ll get the best I got. You’re correct, it’s relatively common. That doesn’t make it any easier for the parents. Good job being there for your friends/relatives.

I remember being at a game in what I think was Buckner’s rookie season. He hit 5 ropes, each one snagged, the hardest 0 for 5 I’ve ever witnessed. The fifth one was a laser that the right fielder caught before it broke his nose. He never moved his feet. Bucks was just staring out at him and then bent over and ripped first base out of the ground. He became my favorite player from then until today.

MLK – thank you for your consent. I will use the song honorably. My students this year loved it, and if I start in August next year, this next year’s group will be even better. Hopefully we will be singing it into October before bringing it out again in February/March. And, yes, your prayers are definitely with your family (it is very common – shouldn’t be any worries).
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myloney – THAT IS AWESOME – THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
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kalhi, working on songs, but haven’t finished any of them – fell asleep early for me last night, probably because of no game and the last day of school, but I see from up above.
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I see dodgereric did a song – Nice one!!!
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jhall – we need Grady – lead off man with HR power. Ethier, Sizemore and Kemp in the outfield would be quite nice ( and not bad to look at from a girl perspective either – lol).
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Even though my class is gone, I still have things to do in the classroom (like clean and do paperwork), and today many of us teachers are going to an out-of-area school to observe a writing program that they have incorporated. My goal for next year is to work on biographies of different ball players. We would start off doing class projects ending with Jackie Robinson in February, and then by Opening Day 2009, I am hoping they will be able do their own.

Have a wonderful morning, and I will try to catch up to all of you in the afternoon. I purchased a new lap top last night, and I can’t wait to try it out when I get home later on tonight.
My first thing I am going to do when I get back is order a My Loney has a first name t-shirt – too cool!! We need to come up with songs/chants for our other beloved Dodgers (Martin, Ethier, Kemp, DeWitt) so if the Loney shirt becomes a hit (which it will), there will be others to follow. Okay, now I’m saying good-bye – 🙂

More Kershaw info and a Scott Elbert update from the Orange County Times:

One day after saying he would skip Kershaw in the starting rotation when a fifth starter wasn’t needed, Torre said Kershaw will start on Tuesday night at San Diego, with the other four starters getting an extra day of rest.

Torre was non-committal beyond that, but Kershaw pitching against the Padres necessarily means he will be needed again on June 15 at Detroit and probably June 21 against Cleveland.

In other words, Kershaw – his 170-inning limit for the entire season notwithstanding – is on something approximating a regular starting pitcher’s schedule. Kershaw pitched five innings against Colorado on Wednesday and now has thrown a combined 57 this season in the majors and minors. … LHP Scott Elbert, the Dodgers’ first-round draft choice four years ago, was assigned to Double-A Jacksonville this week, marking the end of an interminable 14-month rehabilitation from shoulder surgery that included at least a couple of setbacks.

“Right now, we’re just going to take it one outing at a time, and we’ll assess,” said DeJon Watson, the Dodgers assistant general manager for player development. “We want to make sure we don’t go too fast.” Watson said. Elbert routinely hit 90-92 mph with his fastball in extended spring training.

There is a dilemma we’ll face with our youngsters predominating our team. I know we love each of them individually and would maintain the patience to ride along with them this season no matter what the outcome. However, it’s very unlikely, like much against all odds, that we will develop a championship team with all home grown talent. That just doesn’t happen in today’s baseball age. That means that in order to fill certain holes we will eventually have to trade somebody who’s already at the major league level. DY or any of the AAA prospects won’t be enough to secure anybody really good. We already know that we will need help in the middle of our infield, because the inadequacy of Hu and Maza is too apparent. Furcal may come back, and he may not, and his value and presence beyond this season is certainly in doubt.

When it comes to engineering any kind of significant trade, I’m scared silly because of the inadequacy of our GM. There is no record that he’s acquired anybody sufficient to improve our team – in fact, we know the problems he’s created in the off-seasons. It’s also foreboding to know that other teams automatically require more in terms of prospects from the Dodgers than they wind up accepting from other teams. They simply look to take Colletti for a ride because they don’t respect his judgment. Neither do I. If we do anything after this season, we need to replace Colletti. It would be even better if that was done early, and my personal choice would be Logan White. I don’t know some of the other candidates that might be available, but it should not be someone who’s not had a first hand working relationship with baseball talent and with developing a successful team from their own prospect base.

I keep asking the question “what team can you think of that would be interested in hiring Ned as their GM with his track record when he becomes available” – I can’t think of one, can you?

One of the biggest problems I see as Sara pointed out to the fan at the game yesterday is the availability of a true impact bat. Now or in free agency. There just aren’t any available that are worth the price in players and prospects we would have to give up to get them. Most of the free agents available are 30 or older so you might get a couple of years of their prime. They want fat 5 year deals based on what they did in their prime years of 27-30. Teams with true impact players in their prime and under control for 2 or 3 more years are not letting them go. At least not for a reasonable price. Especially when they deal with the Dodgers and Ned. I’m sure Ned is the joke of the GM back room brotherhood. Same is pretty much true of pitchers as well. I believe that we have to develope our own power and pitching and stay the course with the youth and farm system for better or worse. I would stay away from any long term deals (5 years or more) especially for pitchers. I’ll give Ned credit in that department as he has not signed anyone for over 3 years except Phew. And look at that albatross. We’re stuck with him thru 2011. At least with Fat Andruw, Nomore, Schidt, Kent, Bombko, etc… there was/is an end in sight. Ned, there are no quick fixes out there. Be patient. We’re struggling right now like the majority of teams out there. The kids are getting valuable experience and I believe it will pay off down the line. We’re not as bad as we’ve been playing for the last 2 weeks and I look for things to improve throughout the summer. We’ve got the horsepower under the hood, now we just have to get it to the road. It takes time. The 2 weeks we were hot and had an 8 game winning streak went fast and seemed like a blur. This 2 week funk seems like eternity.

it’ll be interesting to see whether they appeal just to have kemp in there against the cubs, or if they feel it’s best to get it over with during the 4 game series with the cubs that will be tough with or without kemp..

i know it’s hard to focus on the positives while things are so bad right now.. but we are still only a few games back.. there is SO much season left.. i believe in the kids

Kemp did shove first, but Torrealba was the one who took it to the next level…as in a ball to the neck. Whatever.

messagbear, I kind of agree and kind of don’t. I think we need to give the kids more time. Loney and Kemp don’t even have a full year under their belts (though they’re getting close). Martin does, and he’s ahead of them all. Do agree that Ned worries me when it comes to trade savvy. I listed my untouchables a few days ago and I’ll repeat them:
Martin, Loney, Kemp, DeWitt (I really think he’s going to be good), Billingsley, Kershaw, and Broxton.

The other kids (LaRoche, Hu, Repko, Abreu, Ethier) are available on one condition: that Campanis is exhumed from the grave and allowed to engineer any trade, because I know he’d get value for value, or even a bit one-sided on the Dodgers’ receiving end.

I’m with you Sara. 4 games is a bit harsh. I was thinking he would get 2. Two games seems reasonable for what transpired. I would appeal it so it may get reduced and Kemp can play against the Cubs at home. Next week we go to SD with an off day Monday. I guess it depends on if you would rather have Kemp sit out at home or on the road against a division rival.

Kahli, that is the problem. Ned is a stooge. I wouldn’t mind trading one or more of your availables if we got equal or greater value for them. However, given Ned’s history, we will give them away for virtually nothing and be worse off when the dust settles. Ned just doesn’t have the tools. Curse his pointy little head!!!!

“Some draft analysts regard the 2008 first base onslaught as a one-year aberration. After eight high school pitchers went in the opening round last year, the 2008 prep contingent is decidedly weaker. These things typically go in cycles.

But Logan White, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ assistant GM for scouting, thinks we might be on the verge of a trend for two reasons: (1) Baseball teams love “run-and-throw” guys, but the pure athletes have turned more toward football and basketball in recent years; and (2) with so many teenagers playing for select travel teams and receiving private hitting instruction, offensive skills are advancing by leaps and bounds.

“You have kids who aren’t the athletic, Ozzie Smith-types in the middle of the diamond, and they’re going over to the corners,” White said. “And they can hit. They can mash.”

And as long as baseball values offense, the kids will get picked early in the draft and reap the benefits. The demand for mashers has always existed. This year, there’s plenty of supply to meet it. ”

I kind of agree with the “untouchables” and available prospects list above by kpookiemon. The crux of the matter is always what you get for whom.

When it comes to the draft, I have the same problem with Ned as when it comes to his trades or FA offers. Let’s get guys who are designed to help us and who can be signed. If a guy can help us, let’s not worry exactly at what round of the draft he’s picked – let’s pay him what he’s worth rather than what is the norm for his drafting round. I’m reminded of the pitching prospect Blair during last year’s draft. The acknowledgment seemed to be that except for signability considerations, Blair would have been picked in a higher round. When we were unwilling to pay him the price that the higher round would have given him, he went to play college ball, and we effectively lost his draft selection. In the meantime, just add up all the dollars that Ned has pissed away in every other conceivable manner, and it adds up to his totally Unacceptable performance ranking.

11. Ethan Martin, RHP/3B, Stephens County HS (GA)
What He Is: Kinda of the East Coast version of Hicks, only he’s an infielder instead of an outfielder.
What He’s Not: A guy who has an issues beginning his career on the mound.
In A Perfect World He Becomes: Like Hicks, a star-level power righty.
Backup Plan: Closer, then third baseman–he does have a very real power bat.
Open Issues: His mechanics on the mound aren’t bad, but do need refinement and repetition; if things go bad, will he want to go back to hitting before the team does?

Martin is a two-way player. He came into the year as a potential first-rounder as a third baseman, but he didn’t hit well at the beginning. He likes to pitch, and he shut down American Plantation H.S. (the team of prospects Eric Hosmer and Adrian Nieto) in February. He throws 91-95 mph. He has a chance to be an above-average bat at third base, and he obviously has a plus arm. I would be surprised if the Dodgers kept well at beginn. Likes to pitch. Shut down Hosmer and Nieto team in a feb. turn 91-95 off the mound. Chance to be an above abverage bat at third . Plus arm. Good athlete. Would be surprise if keep him as a pitcher because they tend to prefer guys with polish. He has arm strength, but not much polish as a pitcher.http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/draft2008/news/story?id=3427340

Just four high school players were among the first 14 selections, and at the halfway point of the first round, the Dodgers added to that with Ethan Martin. However, commissioner Selig announced Martin as a third baseman, not a righthander. The Dodgers have had success with such athletes, such as James McDonald (from outfield to pitcher) and Edwin Jackson (who DH’d early in his career before going just to the mound).

Martin is the fifth high school player picked, with 10 college picks so far. Now we’re thinking high school again with Brett Lawrie the likely pick at 16 for the Brewers. Of course, BA’s Executive of the Year, Jack Zduriencik, never divulges such things, and this year the Brewers have extra picks this yea in the supplemental round. So they could get a little adventurous if they want to.

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